All the Difference
by Begger4mcgregor
Summary: It's better to give than to receive… or is it?  A WillxGrell romance complete with William T. Shakespears, historically inaccurate office supplies and more fluff than you can shake a stick at!
1. Post It's and Poetry

_A.N. Well here it is, my long ago promised magnum opus of WillxGrell fluff! And I warn you, it is FLUFF! It's so fluffy it puts bunnies to shame! There really is no excuse :P This is what happens when you are a hopeless romantic and watch Love Actually one to many times before trying to write a fic!_

_Sorry this is the most belated New Year's fic EVER, but there were lots of editing issues plaguing it, and I wanted to get it right! Or at least as good as I could make it. I find I have trouble with this pairing, despite loving it to DEATH! This was also written before the Shinigami OVA was previewed, so it's probably not quite canon anymore, but who cares! I wanted cute WillxGrell fluuuuuff!_

_Warning for boys kissing, but really, if that bothers you, what are you doing in this fandom? XD I don't own Kuroshitsuji, otherwise it might turn into a ridiculous fluff fest like this, and we can't have that!_

_Shout out to Ann-chan (my beloved William) and Shadowfaith (my darling beta and Ronald)! Also, if you are familiar with my DA account, you may see a scene in chapter three that you might remember from a pic of mine..._

* * *

The London Shinigami Dispatch office was buzzing with excitement. So much so that William could scarcely concentrate, being constantly distracted by loudly exclaimed well wishes and peals of laughter. The cause of course, was New Year's Eve. It was still early in the work day on New Year's Eve, as William had already reminded several young reapers he had seen lounging about discussing their evening's plans, but New Year's Eve none the less. Work had slowed to a crawl as most of the reapers seemed to find it a better use of their time to prepare for the party to be held at General Affairs, rather than getting their paperwork filled out.

William T. Spears was of course, not most reapers. Ever the diligent Dispatch Management Division supervisor, William was working steadily through a veritable mountain of forms. Just as all department's ledgers had to be balanced by the end of every month, it was true ten fold for the new year. Not only would the balance ledger need to be completed, but any inventory, personnel transfer or leave forms, and deathscythe modification approval applications needed to be signed and dated by midnight January 1st. It wasn't as if William had simply put this off until the last moment, but rather the entire division was woefully understaffed and overworked, putting them consistently at least a month behind.

Despite the ever increasing chatter taking place right outside his door (that William's threats seemed to do little to deter), he felt as though he was making good progress. If he continued at this pace, he might even finish with a half hour to spare. _What a concept, to actually be able to enjoy the coming of the New Year_. Just as a small smile had almost found it's way onto the stoic supervisor's lips, a flurry of crimson flew into his office, scattering a few papers as he gracefully plopped into a chair across from William's desk, acting as if he owned the place.

"Morning Will~!"

William frowned. In all honesty, though he would never admit it even under torture, William didn't really _mind_ Grell's uninvited presence in his office most of the time. It was annoying and completely distracting, there was no question of that, but the redhead's energetic (and often flirtatious) behavior did bring a certain liveliness to William's otherwise monotonous existence. Almost like a breath of fresh, lightly perfumed air. As long as Grell didn't eat up too much of William's day with his mindless chatter, he was generally tolerated, and perhaps even begrudgingly appreciated at times. Now was not one of those times however, as the end of year deadline loomed ever closer.

"What are you doing here Grell Sutcliff? I am extremely busy right now, as well should you be, so please make it quick."

"Aaaaaaa~ Will is so cold~!" Grell pouted playfully as he scooted his chair until it rested around the other side of the desk, right next to Will, his favorite spot to bother him it seemed. "I was just coming to wish you a happy New Year~! Are you going to the party tonight?"

"Most certainly not. You know very well that these forms must be completed by the start of the new year, and since no one around here seems to want to do their work properly, it once again falls on me to finish it." William tersely responded, hoping Grell would take the hint and leave him alone.

"Oh come on, the other supervisors probably won't have finished by tonight! Have a little fun, you deserve it~!"

"I couldn't care in the slightest what the other supervisors do or do not finish. I for one take pride in my work, and wish you would as well Grell Sutcliff. Remember, I asked you to get all the unfinished forms from those slackers in your department handed in to me before the end of the work day you know, so I can complete _those_ as well." William sighed wearily, not feeling bad in the slightest for making Grell play gofer. With all the interruptions the redhead provided, collecting up the extra forms was the _least_ he could do. "Have you even finished your budget analysis from your last mission?" asked the dark haired reaper, not looking up from his form, already predicting Grell's answer.

"Um… well… kind of?" Grell said hopefully, smiling sweetly at his boss.

Sighing as he rubbed the bridge of his nose before adjusting his glasses, William's stoic mask slipped a bit as he replied wearily, "Honestly, it really would make things easier for me if you would at least complete your work you know. If you want me to go to these silly functions you go on about, you have to do your fair share so that I don't have to pick up your slack. I'm already going to have to work overtime as it is." he finished in a tired voice. He didn't expect his words to have any effect, they never did, but he at least felt a little better having expressed a bit of his disappointment and frustration. Perhaps now Grell would leave him be.

Grell did have the decency to feel a bit guilty as he considered Will's plight. _Paperwork is just so bo~ring!_ His guilt was not enough to move him from his chair however, as he instead merely mumbled an apology, pressing his index fingers together with trepidation and looking anywhere but at his boss.

After a moment of awkward silence, in which the redhead waited to be smacked and William merely sighed, simply wishing to be left alone, Grell deemed it safe to resume his normal relaxed posture. Seemingly feeling his conscience was now cleared, Grell pulled out an emery board and began to sculpt his already well manicured nails.

"So…" he began in a cheerful tone, guilt at his non-existent work ethic apparently far behind him, "… what's your New Year's resolution Will?"

Well, that had failed miserably. Not that William had thought appealing to Grell's conscience would work. He was far too experienced with the redhead to really expect anything different. William swore Grell had a devil on _each_ shoulder, as well as an extra hiding in that crimson mane of his, in case one of the others called in sick. His next course of action was to simply ignore the nuisance, hoping he would get bored and skip off to bother some other poor soul.

"Mine is to be kissed by my true love~!" Grell exclaimed dreamily when met with his boss's silence.

Apparently William had been too optimistic once again. Rolling his eyes at Grell's ridiculous "resolution", he couldn't stop himself from replying somewhat scornfully, "Honestly, from what I hear about your conduct on and off the job, that hardly seems like much of a _resolution_ Grell Sutcliff. You seem to kiss several of your _true loves_ on a daily basis."

"Aaa~ but I only have _one_ true love Will, and while I may have stolen a kiss or two from him before, he's never kissed _me_." Grell giggled like some silly schoolgirl with a secret crush.

"There is no difference, as the result is the same." William frowned, too confused by Grell's statement to even begin to imagine who the redhead's one true love might be. Grell had stolen kisses from just about every male in the division, himself included. One had to be careful not to let their guard down around the infamous crimson reaper.

"Of course there is~! It makes _all_ the difference! Any woman can tell you that!" the effeminate reaper replied, clearly scandalized at Will's ignorance.

"Well, seeing as how you are in fact not a…"

Brandishing the emery board threateningly in Will's direction, Grell fixed his boss with a glare. "Be careful how you finish that sentence Will!"

"…woman…" the emery board bounced harmlessly off William's glasses. "…I don't see how you are in any position to make such ridiculous claims."

"There is not a romantic bone in your body is there William?" Grell pouted as he crossed his arms in irritation.

Deciding not to even grace such an idiotic question with a response, William enjoyed a period of blissful silence. Grell seemed to be content to occupy himself with rifling through his desk. Upon finding William's colored sticky tabs for marking important documents in his large ledger, the redhead began using the crimson strips to form a large heart on the desk. William merely shook his head and continued working. _Why do I let him get away with this nonsense? _Grell was humming now as he took a post-it note and wrote in red ink "W+G" and stuck it in the middle of his creation. Raising an eyebrow, William decided to let Grell have his fun, as long as he was being quiet.

"You know Will…" William knew the silence was too good to last. "…you say you hate overtime, but what on earth do you _do_ when you're not working? Do you have any secret hobbies I need to know about?" the redhead asked as he leered at his supervisor.

"My hobbies are no secret, though I'm not sure why you feel you would _need_ to know them." was William's disinterested reply as he tried in vain to continue filling out the forms in front of him. William finally sighed in exasperation as Grell continued to stare expectantly at him. "If you must know, I enjoy reading in my spare time."

Rolling his emerald eyes, Grell laughed at his boss's predictability. "Figures~! What do you like to read?"

Would Grell never shut up? Honestly, William had already stated that these forms absolutely _had_ to be completed by the end of the year, which the red haired nuisance most certainly knew was tonight at midnight. Of course instead of leaving him to finish in peace, or God forbid do some work of his own, here he was asking him about his reading preferences! William would have simply ignored Grell's continuous stream of questions, but he'd been down that road before. When Grell had a mind to, he could be damned persistent if he was in the mood to chat, which he clearly seemed to be.

Knowing (or at least hoping) that answering would bring an end to the redhead's visit more quickly, William sighed wearily and replied, "I don't know… Wilde, Dickens, Shakespeare…" trailing off as he rubbed his temple to sooth the headache he could feel looming on the horizon.

"Aaaaa~ See, how he leans his cheek upon his hand! Oooo~ that I were a glove upon that hand, that I might touch that cheek~!" Grell excitedly exclaimed.

Pausing in his anti-headache ministrations, and trying not to think too hard on the fact that his hand had not technically been on his cheek, nor the fact that Grell had just cast him in the role of _Juliet_, he instead merely raised an eyebrow. William would have never thought the hyperactive redhead capable of sitting down long enough to read a Shakespeare play. Before he could think about the fact that it would probably only encourage the idiot, William dryly replied, "That he's mad, 'tis true, 'tis true 'tis pity, and pity 'tis 'tis true—a foolish figure."

"Aaaaa~ A hit, a very palpable hit~!" Grell mock-swooned playfully, clearly enjoying himself. "Though this be madness, yet there is method in't." the redhead purred as he slid his leg under the desk to caress Will's calf.

A swift kick sent Grell's errant foot retreating. "Man delights not me— nor woman neither, though by your actions you seem to say so." William replied, intently focused on his paperwork.

Not to be deterred, Grell rose from his chair and sat daintily on the desk's paper laden surface to face the other man. Using a single finger he raised Will's chin, pulling his eyes from the form to meet the redhead's. "The course of true love never did run smooth Will."

A shiver ran down William's spine at the way Grell gazed at him, his eyes half lidded and hungry. Reacting on autopilot, William grabbed the offending digit and bent it back until the redhead twisted out of his grip and off the desk.

As Grell nursed his abused finger in his mouth, mumbling about his boss's cruelty, William adjusted his glasses and returned his attention to the neglected form. "I must be cruel only to be kind." William murmured, nearly smirking as he said it, but quickly reining in the unwanted expression. He was most definitely NOT having fun! William T. Spears did not have fun. Confident that a frown was firmly in place, William continued, "As I said, this paperwork must be completed by the start of the new year, so unless you wish to earn yourself some overtime with your continued interruptions, I suggest you get back to work Grell Sutcliff."

"But you play along so~ much more than Sebby did! I never knew you liked Shakespe…"

"That will be ALL Grell Sutcliff! Get back to work at once!" William snapped, nearly breaking his pen from clutching it too tightly. _How dare Grell bring up that filthy demon in my presence! _Feeling that headache finally make it's grand appearance, William grit his teeth and prepared to eject Grell from his office, by force if necessary, if one more ridiculous comment came out of his mouth.

"O, beware, my Will, of jealousy; It is the green-ey'd monster."

That. Was. IT! Eyebrow twitching and pen finally giving in to the strain and snapping, William summoned his deathscythe. Angrily looking up at the red haired idiot, he shot the weapon towards Grell. Shrieking in shock, Grell ducked his supervisor's assault. Seeming to lack any self preservation skills, or possessing a set of balls he would never admit to (being the delicate lady he was), the redhead laughed and replied, "Aaaaa~ Will doth protest too much, methinks~!"

Feeling satisfied as his second assault hit it's mark (namely Grell's forehead) while the idiot had been spouting off more nonsense, William glared menacingly at the other reaper. Grell's eyes widened as he read the message in the other man's glare. A message that clearly said "_Get the hell out of my office before I impale you in a way you will most certainly NOT enjoy." _

Scurrying toward the door, followed closely by Will's expanding deathscythe, Grell flew out of his boss's office, shouting cheerfully as he went, "Parting is su~ch sweet sorrow, that I shall say good night till it be morrow~!"

Letting loose a small sigh of relief, William got up to quietly close the door. He felt like slamming it to take out some frustration, but that would be terribly unprofessional. _Why has Grell gotten me so riled up? He is annoying, certainly, but it's not as if I haven't dealt with that before. _Resting his forehead on the cool wood of his office door, William recalled Grell's taunting words once more, "_O, beware, my Will, of jealousy_…" Gritting his teeth, William lightly banged his head on the door in the futile hope it would knock him out, or at least derail his train of thought. _Jealousy! That's ridiculous, absurd! I simply don't want my employees fraternizing with that demon! Nothing more! Grell certainly doesn't mean anything to me! Well… perhaps a friend… it's just… he…_ Realizing his rationalizations sounded pathetic even to himself, William let out a defeated sigh.

_Who am I trying to kid?_ Ever since Grell had come into William's life, he had been nothing but a pest. Yet somehow, over the many years of their friendship, said pest had imbedded himself so deeply into William's world that he simply couldn't imagine life without the noisy, flirtatious, inappropriate, ridiculous man barging into his office daily. Despite them being polar opposites, Grell seemed to be the only person that not only wasn't afraid of William's icy demeanor, but who actually seemed to be happy to spend time with him.

Feeling like the fool he had earlier accused the redhead of being, William whispered to the office that suddenly felt too large and empty, "Such sweet sorrow… _honestly_". It seemed the perfect way to describe Grell's departure.

Every time the redhead would burst through the door to fill him in on office gossip William cared nothing about, or to retell the daring tale of his latest soul collection, or to simply mindlessly chatter on, content in thoroughly annoying him, William would find himself thinking that this was quite easily the least favorite part of his day. Virtually no work would get done as Grell yammered on, even sometimes managing to goad his supervisor into conversation. Whether William would finally kick him out in irritation, or the redhead would simply become restless and run off in search of someone else to bother, his visits would inevitably come to an end. As Grell's crimson coat tails fluttered out of sight and William was left alone in the deafening silence of his office, he would always stand corrected on what the least favorite part of his day truly was.

William heaved a heavy sigh, suddenly feeling exhausted, as he headed back to his desk to tackle his staggering workload once more.


	2. Minuet in G rell

Safely outside the range of his supervisor's wrath, Grell tenderly prodded the growing lump on his forehead. Certain he would be sporting a bruise in short order, Grell crossed his arms and pouted in frustration. Why did Will have to be so difficult! The redhead had _so_ been looking forward to spending New Year's with his reluctant crush! Grell couldn't imagine _anyone_ willingly locking themselves up to do paperwork all night on New Year's Eve!

Anyone but Will of course. Grell could picture Will quite clearly, slaving away, always determined to keep the division running with perfect efficiency, even if no one else seemed to care. Grell cared, he just didn't quite know how to show it… at least in a way Will seemed to appreciate, as the redhead's kisses and caresses tended to go over rather… poorly.

As bleak as his prospects seemed, Grell didn't fancy himself a quitter! The day was young and there was still a chance Grell could break Will free of the paperwork prison he had built around himself, but _how_? As fun as it was to flirt with the man, his cold yet flustered reactions one of the things that made Will the redhead's favorite, Grell knew that's wasn't likely to yield the desired result of getting his boss to the party. Grell would probably only end up with a matching set of bruises for his trouble.

A change of game plan was clearly in order! On any other night, the flirting would be reward enough, even without the benefit of getting what he truly wanted… but not tonight. Tonight the redhead had very special, very _important_ plans. Plans he wanted to succeed at all costs. So Grell took a moment and actually considered… what would _Will_ want? As he pondered, Will's voice floated through his mind... "_If you want me to go to these silly functions you go on about, you have to do your fair share so that I don't have to pick up your slack."_

That was it! If Grell actually did his paperwork, Will wouldn't have to stay late tonight, freeing them up to spend the evening together! Of course… there was the _rest_ of the paperwork from the slackers in the redhead's department to consider… Grell knew just the thing. Grinning widely, a plan to finally be of real help to Will clear in his mind… Grell summoned his deathscythe. Stalking down the halls for his first victu… _colleague_, Grell envisioned clinking a glass of Champagne with his true love, and sharing the first kiss of the New Year…

The revving of Grell's chainsaw and his co-workers' frightened screams rang out in perfect harmony with the sweeping soundtrack accompanying the redhead's romantic fantasy.


	3. No Good Deed Goes Unpunished

The work day had just ended, if the ruckus that erupted into the halls moments ago was any indication. Not that William bothered to pay the clock much mind, as he wouldn't be punching out until sometime next year, literally.

William was behind, he could tell that much at a glance, judging that the colossal stack of papers would most certainly take him the remainder of the night to finish. If he _managed_ to finish. William's little pen mishap during Grell's visit had resulted in several forms being ruined and William having to subsequently do them over, pushing him even further behind schedule.

Now that it looked like there was no end in sight, and for the first time in his long career, William might not have all his paperwork filed by the deadline, the reaper truly felt hopeless. Sighing heavily for the umpteenth time, William threw himself into another budget analysis. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he noted that Grell had failed to bring him the department's extra paperwork. William almost counted it as a blessing at this point, because after those were added to the pile, William would surely have no chance of finishing on time. Still, orders were orders, and once again, Grell had failed to follow them. As he began pondering how to best punish the unreliable reaper, the door creaked open, exposing a red mass in William's peripheral vision.

"Hiii~!"

"Grell Sutcliff I am in no mood for your idiocy, so unless you have something of importance to tell me, or if by some miracle you have brought those forms with you, then I demand you leave my office at once!" William snapped.

Grell hovered around the door, looking anxiously at his supervisor, who seemed to be in an even worst mood than before. Will rarely snapped at him so harshly or so quickly, even when under incredible stress. Hoping to turn Will's mood around, Grell inched his way toward the desk. Sharp teeth biting his lower lip, he gently laid a massive stack of forms in front of Will.

William glared at the sheer volume of paper before him, a frown etched upon his features. "What exactly is the meaning of this? Do you mean to tell me that _all_ of these, _weeks_ worth of paperwork, are the uncompleted forms from your department?" he asked, his eyebrow twitching. Without waiting for Grell's inevitable confirmation of the department's complete and utter failure, William snapped, "How _dare_ they do this to me! Do they have _any_ idea how much overtime I put in to cover for them? Does no one have any considera…"

"They're finished."

"…tion for how hard I wor… what?

"They're finished. All of them."

William could do nothing but stare in stunned silence at the redhead. Finally finding his voice, he replied in shock, "But… the whole department was weeks behind… and… how?"

Grell grinned, as it was a rare sight to see Will at a loss for words. "I simply explained to my co-workers that it would be very kind of them if they finished their work, as to not put undue stress on our fearless leader. I ma~y have also given them a little… _friendly encouragement_." the crimson reaper replied, his sharp teeth glistening menacingly as he recalled what fun it had been making some of the more stubborn young reapers piss themselves as his chainsaw got a little too close for comfort.

Leafing through the stack of neatly filed reports, seeing Grell's crimson inked script and heart dotted i's included in the bunch, William was stunned. Grell had done all this? For him? Feeling a foreign but not altogether unpleasant warmth in his chest, William looked back up at Grell, his eyes shining with sincere gratitude. "I… this is… Grell… thank you."

With nothing to warn him but a flash of red and Grell's excited squeal, William soon found himself crashing to the floor with the redhead wrapped around him, paperwork fluttering to the ground around them. Before William could even think of responding to the assault, soft warm lips where crushed against his. Gloved hands ran through his hair as Grell pressed himself against him, seeming almost desperate to eliminate any space between them.

As William blushed and fought with himself on exactly how to deal with this development, it was over as quickly as it had begun. Grell pulled away gently and smiled, his emerald eyes reflecting emotions that William wasn't entirely comfortable putting names to just yet.

"You're welcome Will~!" the redhead giggled, ecstatic that Will seemed genuinely pleased by what Grell had done for him.

William could feel his face heat up as the redhead smiled at him. This situation was entirely inappropriate… but Grell was so _close_… so close William could hardly breathe, let alone think straight. Soft crimson hair fell off Grell's shoulders, a few strands trailing to tickle William's neck. His hand moved, seemingly of it's own accord, to gently tuck the wayward strands behind Grell's ear…

"Mmmm~ since all that paperwork is done, does this mean you'll come to the party with me?" Grell purred from his cozy position on Will's chest.

William quickly pulled his hand away as if burnt. So that was it! Grell hadn't done this out of friendship or any sort of _caring_ towards him, he simply wanted to molest him at that damned party! Furious with himself for even _entertaining_ the notion that the redhead might be capable of feeling something more than lust, William huffed and shoved Grell off his torso before quickly getting to his feet and straightening his jacket. _How could I have been so stupid!_

"Certainly not!" William snapped, blushing despite his best efforts not to and looking pointedly away from the heap of crimson on the ground. "While I appreciate your help, I still have several hours of work to do before I am even _close_ to finishing. A week's worth of paperwork does not make up for a year's worth of slacking Grell Sutcliff! So if that is all then get out of my office, as I am very busy and don't have time to play your games!" William finished, his anger building with every word uttered.

Grell whimpered slightly as he was shoved on to the floor, and winced as Will proceeded to lay into him, clearly furious. Daring to look up at the other man, Grell saw that Will wouldn't even meet his eyes, and instead turned his back and marched to his desk. "W-Will… I'm sorry… I thought…"

"I know precisely what you _thought_ Grell Sutcliff, and you will not find that kind of entertainment here!" William spat rather venomously, his bottled up anger and hurt floating dangerously close to the surface. _My thoughts about your intentions were mistaken as well, though I shouldn't be surprised,_ William thought, disgusted with himself perhaps even more than Grell. "Go to that party of yours and harass some unfortunate person foolish enough to indulge you!"

"But Will…"

"Get out of my sight Grell!" William yelled, his voice breaking slightly on the redhead's name.

The slamming door seemed to echo forever through the quiet office.


	4. Party Like it's 1888

General Affair's annual New Year's Eve party was in full swing. Having a job where one of the rules actually banned _smiling_ (a rule, like so many others, that Grell chose to ignore), it was only natural that when they were off the clock, Shinigami liked to cut loose. Champagne flowed like water, and all around the large hall reapers where enjoying themselves.

Noticeably absent from the merrymaking was one Grell Sutcliff. When the redhead first arrived he had attempted to make small talk and enjoy the party, but he soon found his heart just wasn't in it. Grell was fairly certain it had fallen out somewhere in Will's office during their last encounter. _Why did Will get so angry? I just wanted to spend New Year's with him~! _The redhead continued replaying their interaction in his mind's eye, trying to figure out where he went wrong. Grell pouted and sighed in frustration. Men! The redhead wasn't sure he would ever understand them!

Slinking off in search of a place to collect his thoughts, Grell found a side hallway leading to some offices that seemed quiet and uninhabited. Sitting on the cold marble floor, wrapping his arms tightly around his legs and resting his chin on his knees, the redhead sighed again. This wasn't exactly how he had pictured spending his New Year.

Grell undoubtedly enjoyed Will's cold treatment, his often violent reactions only serving to fire the redhead up to try again. Lately however, Grell found himself longing for something… more. From his vantage point, Grell could see happy couples chatting, flirting, dancing… was it too much to ask to have those things too?

Grell's increasingly depressed musings were suddenly interrupted by a blonde blur popping into his field of vision. "Awwww why the long face senpai?"

Grell looked up from his carefully staked out pouting spot to meet the smiling features of Ronald Knox. The redhead sighed forlornly.

"Guy troubles huh?" Ronald knowingly smirked. The blonde would recognize that sigh anywhere, as Grell had been rejected enough times to make it infamous. Handing his effeminate friend a drink, which Grell absently set aside, Ronald took a seat on the floor beside the downtrodden redhead. "So, who is it this time?"

"Aaaa~ who else? Will."

Chuckling softly, Ronald replied, "So what did you do this time senpai?"

"Who says I did anything? I was being nice~! I got the whole department to get their paperwork done so Will didn't have to do it!"

"That _was_ uncharacteristically nice of you…" Grell elbowed Ronald in the ribs, only serving to prove the blonde's point. "…that can't be _all_ though, there's got to be something else you're not mentioning."

"I may have… kissed him. But I was just so happy to see _him_ happy that I couldn't help myself! It's still no reason to be so cold~!" the redhead pouted.

"Yeah, but you know how he is! Every time you try something with him he always kicks your arse!" the blonde laughed. He really did feel for his lovelorn friend, but it was just plain _funny_ how the most flamboyant man he had ever met had fallen for the most uptight and serious man in the history of… ever. Ronald sometimes wondered if their quiet supervisor didn't return a little of Grell's affection, given the way he'd seen him look at the redhead when he thought no one was watching.

"Want me to try and drag him to the party? I'm sure if we get enough booze in him he'll warm up a bit!" Ronald winked encouragingly.

"No~ that won't work. I tried already. He's still working."

"Does that man never sleep?" Ronald gasped, shocked at how someone could spend so much of their life working when there were parties to attend, girls to be wooed… "So, what are you gonna do now? Sit around and mope all night? That's not your style Grell senpai!" Ronald smiled at the redhead, placing a hand on his shoulder.

Grell couldn't help but smile back. Ronald could occasionally be a real darling when he wanted to. "I know~! But there's only so much a poor girl's heart can take in one night! I just can't enjoy the party. All I can think about is him. I wanted to ring in the New Year with Will~!"

"You could help him with his paperwork all night!" the blonde laughed merrily, finding the thought of Grell willingly spending his New Year's Eve filing forms with a tired and bitchy William T. Spears to be rather hilarious.

Ronald was clearly joking, but Grell thought there might be something to that idea. Perhaps he could try to smooth things over by helping him. Will was exhausted, that much was obvious by the bags under his eyes and his quicker than usual temper. Maybe he would be forgiven if, by working together, they got everything done by midnight! Grell hated paperwork with a passion, but he loved Will with a passion even greater, and was willing to give it a shot!

His mind made up, Grell smiled widely and kissed Ronald messily on the cheek, leaving a sloppy lipstick imprint. "You're a genius Ronald~!" Before the blonde could react, Grell was running out the door.

Blinking owlishly, Ronald rubbed at his cheek in a futile attempt to remove the lipstick. "Genius huh? Damn straight!" he exclaimed, a cocky grin in place as he scanned the hall. "Ah, Rachel, lovely night isn't it?" he cheerfully shouted, grinning boyishly while making his way over to the pretty blonde. "So, what are you're plans for say, right around… midnight?"


	5. A Peace Offering and Paperwork

It was 10:30 pm, only 90 minutes left until midnight, and William was at the end of his rope. He had managed to make a healthy dent in his massive workload, but there was no way he could finish what remained in time. Internally cursing yet again at the higher-up's continued refusal to give him more personnel, ones that actually did their _work_, William placed another completed form atop a particularly tall stack. As it predictably began to wobble and lean, William jumped up to rearrange the tower. The state he had allowed his desk to get in was really quite disgraceful, but he had simply been too busy! As he quickly gathered and stacked relevant forms together and moved the completed stacks to the floor at the corner of his desk closest to his out-box, William spied something out of place.

It was a spot of red, in the form of what appeared to be a sticky tab. William couldn't remember using the document markers today, so where had it come from? As he uncovered the surrounding area, William suddenly remembered… Grell. It was that ridiculous heart he had made on the desk, wasting William's perfectly good office supplies.

Seeing the crimson shape put him in mind of their last encounter that evening. After having time to cool down, William felt slightly guilty for the way he had snapped at Grell. The redhead's conduct had no doubt been inappropriate, but since when did he do much of _anything_ appropriately? The fact of the matter was, Grell had done something nice for him, and no matter how indecent his motives may have been, he didn't deserve William's anger in return.

Rubbing the bridge of his nose tiredly, William realized that Grell was once again wasting his time, and he wasn't even in the room! The redhead seemed to be occupying entirely too much of William's thoughts of late. Resolving to get back to work, William removed the tabs making up the heart shape and threw them in the rubbish bin. His fingers hovered over the post-it note, emblazoned with Grell's flowing script, reading "W+G". Removing the last remnants of Grell's art project, William meant to crumple the silly message and throw it out as well. Something stopped him though, as he stared at the note, seemingly lost in thought.

Studying the flowing lines of their initials and suddenly remembering Grell's resolution about his "one true love", William felt a small flicker of hope in his breast, try as he might to smother it. _Surely he's just teasing me. Surely he can't mean…_

"Will?"

Shocked that he hadn't heard the door, William nearly jumped out of his skin at Grell's hesitant voice in the doorway. Scrambling to hide the sentimental keepsake, William opened the top drawer of his desk and threw the note in before slamming it shut, catching his finger in the process.

"Ah! Damn it!" William hissed, shaking the smashed digit.

In a flash Grell was at his side fawning over him. "Oh Will~! Are you alright? Let me kiss it better~!" he exclaimed with worried features as he reached for the other man's hand.

William yanked his hand away and coughed lightly, attempting to pick up the shards of his shattered dignity. "There is certainly no need for that! I'm fine." Only now realizing that Grell had no reason to be standing in his office at 10:45 pm, William raised a leery eyebrow, "What are you doing here Grell Sutcliff? Shouldn't you be attending that party of yours?"

"I went… but it wasn't any fun. I… I felt bad… with you sitting here all alone… it's New Year's… I missed you…" Grell trailed off awkwardly, the last three words barely a whisper. _Please don't send me away_…

William's eyebrows raised a fraction. _Did he just say he… missed me? Could it be that Grell actually just wants to… spend New Year's with me… and that's why he wanted me to go to that party?_ Certain he was imagining things, William adjusted his glasses, lightly clearing his throat and frowning. "You needn't concern yourself with me. You are providing more of a distraction by being here in fact." Seeing Grell's face fall slightly, William scolded himself for once again being unduly harsh when Grell hadn't really done anything to warrant it… yet. He sighed and softened his tone, "Please go enjoy the party, you were a great help to me today."

Grell smiled at William's praise, as it was rare he received any. "You don't understand~! I came here to help you with your paperwork!" the redhead replied happily.

"Help me? Forgive my skepticism, but I know your history with doing paperwork, _and_ with spending time in my office. Honestly, chattering away at me and filing your nails does not count as "help" I'm afraid, but I thank you for the offer."

"Just because I don't _like_ paperwork doesn't mean I can't do it! I'm not stupid William!" Grell pouted and crossed his arms, clearly settling in for an argument if that's what it took for Will to except his help.

Sighing at Grell's stubbornness, William went to sit down and start a new form, as it was clear that the redhead wouldn't be leaving any time soon. "I know you're not stupid Grell, but you must admit that you haven't had the best track record with completing your reports."

Huffing at Will's insulting (and entirely true) statement, Grell took matters into his own hands. Dragging a chair around to rest beside Will's, Grell none too gently elbowed his boss. "Move over~!" With raised eyebrows, Will obediently scooted his chair over to give Grell room at the desk. Grell shed his trademark red coat over the back of the chair and grabbed a stack of forms. Pulling out a red pen, which was quickly replaced with a black one by a scowling William, Grell set to work.

As seconds turned to minutes and Grell remained silently focused, William finally began to relax and concentrate on his own work. The redhead was not terribly gifted in mathematics, but had fairly good spelling and penmanship, so William took the budget reports and ledgers, while Grell tackled the leave and transfer forms, as well as filing mission reports. Occasionally Grell would groan in frustration or crack his knuckles or pop his neck, but otherwise he kept quiet, only speaking when asking William to sign something. William decided not to question the miraculous occurrence and dove into his work with a newfound sense of optimism. Together, they may just pull this off.


	6. All The Difference

After they had been working together in companionable silence for a good hour, the pile of paperwork had significantly diminished. With only a few forms remaining, it looked as though they would actually finish on time. As William rolled his neck to get out the kinks, he noticed Grell out of the corner of his eye. William had been pointedly focused on his work until now, hoping not to derail Grell's unprecedented streak of productivity, but as William saw him, he found himself unable to look away.

The redhead was hunched over his work, brows furrowed and eyes intently focused on the page in front of him. William noticed, with equal parts dismay and fondness, that Grell had snuck back to using a red pen. The redhead wrote quickly and gracefully, never forgetting to dot every "i" with a small heart. Grell fidgeted and squirmed occasionally, seeming as if he could hardly contain all that energy of his. William couldn't stop the soft smile that appeared on his lips at the sight of Grell working so hard like this… to help him. He had never seen this dedicated, determined side of Grell before, and he had to admit, he liked it. William subconsciously loosened his tie as he saw Grell's pink tongue dart out between his ruby lips in concentration as he tried to interpret a mission report with particularly atrocious handwriting. _Is it… hot in here?_

Scandalized when he suddenly realized he had been shamelessly staring at the redhead for several minutes, William finally tore his eyes away and looked down to find… nothing.

"Last one Will! Sign here and we're done~!" Grell said in a very relieved voice as he shoved the last form toward his boss.

"Wha… done? Really?" William looked around the desk and was shocked to find that he had been sitting there staring as Grell finished the last of his work. Raising his eyebrows in appreciation, William continued, "Grell… I'm impressed."

"I told you I could help you~! Now come on, there's about 10 minutes until New Year's, where do we drop these off?" the redhead asked as he jumped out of his seat, nearly dancing from foot to foot now that he could move again.

"Drop them off? Don't be absurd. They will be picked up from the outbox at the start of the next workday." William frowned, feeling that should have been obvious.

"Next workday… but… today's Friday! Wait… are you telling me… that you not only didn't have to do these tonight, but that you could have had _two more days_ to finish?" Grell asked incredulously, his mouth hanging open.

"Well… technically. However, regulations state that these are to be completed by the… end of the… year…" William answered, trying to sound stern, but trailing off near the end as he realized how utterly ridiculous that sounded, even to his own ears.

_Why that… he didn't even need these done until… he had DAYS left…_ Grell was fuming. He could have been at the party, having a good time with his friends, bringing in the New Year in style! Instead he had buried himself in paperwork, earning himself a sore neck he might add, all to help his idiot boss finish something two days early! Opening his mouth to let Will know exactly what he thought of his _regulations_, Grell met the other man's eyes.

Will stared back looking confused and slightly apologetic, his eyes clearly betraying his growing embarrassment. Suddenly it all made sense. Of _course_ Will would want to work himself ragged to finish his paperwork unnecessarily early if the _rules_ said so, otherwise he wouldn't be _Will_! Faced with Will's sheepish expression, a blush slowly spreading across his cheeks, Grell found he suddenly didn't have the heart to be angry with his hopeless supervisor. Instead, a giggle broke through his lips, followed by another, and soon the redhead's entire body shook with laughter.

William could tell that Grell had been irritated that he had, in essence, wasted his evening. Expecting some rightly deserved anger for not making the deadline issue clear, William was surprised to instead hear laughter bubbling up from the redhead.

Grell was clutching his middle as tears formed at the corners of his eyes. It seemed to be a contagious condition, for as he considered how silly the whole situation was, William felt himself do something he hadn't done in decades… he laughed. It sounded awkward and foreign to his ears, but it felt good somehow, like something tense inside him unwinding. Unable to stop himself, William softly chuckled along with Grell's mirth.

As Grell heard Will make a strangled sound, his head shot up in confusion. What he saw melted his heart. Will was actually… laughing. He seemed unused to the sensation, almost afraid that he would do it wrong. Overcome with fondness for the man before him, Grell quickly closed the gap between them and wrapped Will into a tight hug, still giggling softly. "You really are impossible Will." he whispered into the dark haired man's ear.

William tensed at first, but slowly relaxed as Grell pulled him into a hug. Feeling lighter somehow after laughing with the redhead, William only hesitated for a moment before returning the gesture, pulling Grell close. "Yes, I suppose I should have made that clear shouldn't I?" He said in regards to both the deadline _and_ his being impossible, his chuckles subsiding. "Thank you for helping me though Grell. It really does mean a lot to me." He whispered back against Grell's soft crimson hair.

Grell reveled in the tender embrace Will bestowed upon him, enjoying the other man's strong arms around him for as long as he was able. Peering over Will's shoulder, Grell looked out the office window, his eyes falling upon the large clock tower in the Shinigami realm that mirrored London's Big Ben in the living world. 11:57. "Will~! There's only three minutes left until the New Year, and you still haven't made your resolution!" Grell exclaimed as he reluctantly pulled away.

Frowning in concentration, William brought a hand up to straighten his glasses. "I suppose…"

"…a~nd nothing like…" Grell adopted a rigid stance with perfect posture, schooling his face into a stern expression. Straightening his glasses, Grell spoke in an uncanny impersonation of the man in front of him, "…I resolve to improve the division's productivity by 7.4 percent, and crack down on any employees I see slacking, especially that Grell Sutcliff, honestly."

"And I really sound like that do I?" William asked, an tiny amused smirk on his features.

"You do~!" cheekily replied Grell.

"Then perhaps you would like it better if I resolved to be more patient when _certain_ employees burst into my office reciting Shakespeare?" William asked as he quirked an eyebrow.

"That would be much better~! It would certainly mean less head injuries for me! That really hurt today you know!" the redhead pouted as he rubbed at the small bruise on his forehead, the glint in his eye and smile tugging on his lips giving away the fact he was playing with the other man.

There was just something about the redhead that always seemed to make William forget himself. Caught up in the moment and playing along without thinking, William stilled Grell's hand with his own, pulling it away to hold it gently. Using his other hand he lifted Grell's crimson bangs and lightly kissed his bruised forehead. Pulling back, still holding the redhead's hand, William looked down and whispered, "Sorry."

Grell gasped as Will leaned in and kissed his forehead, and shivered in delight when he locked eyes with him, whispering an apology with a small tender smile on this handsome features. "Oh Will." Grell murmured as he leaned toward the other man, eyes half lidded and lips slightly parted.

William felt warm all over as he looked into Grell's eyes. He could feel the redhead's soft breath against his lips. He was so _close_. Grell was leaning forward, and William found himself doing the same, unconsciously wetting his lips. Just as he felt the faintest brush of soft lips against his own, the moment was shattered as the clock tower loudly chimed. The spell broken, William and Grell jumped back slightly…

_GOOOOOOOOONG GOOOOOOOOONG_

…they stared at one another, both lightly panting in surprise…

_GOOOOOOOOONG GOOOOOOOOONG_

…Grell squeezed the hand that Will had yet to let go of, smiling softly at him…

_GOOOOOOOOONG GOOOOOOOOONG_

…William returned the squeeze and shyly reached for Grell's other hand…

_GOOOOOOOOONG GOOOOOOOOONG_

…instead of reaching back for Will's hand, Grell took a step closer and brought his hand up to rest behind Will's neck, fingers tangling in his hair…

_GOOOOOOOOONG GOOOOOOOOONG_

…William's hand changed it's course to lightly grasp Grell's hip, pulling him closer…

_GOOOOOOOOONG_

…Grell raised himself to bring his lips as close to Will's as he dared. It would be so easy, so _easy_, to lean up and claim his lips, but he held himself back.

Since the beginning of their friendship, Grell had endlessly flirted and teased and stolen kisses from his unrequited love. As he was rejected time and again, the redhead could tell himself it was merely his outrageous behavior Will was rejecting, Grell hadn't _really_ been serious anyway! These lies kept him safe. This moment, this decision, this kiss, _was_ serious. Grell was good at protecting his heart, but now, as he stood poised an instant away from sheer bliss or utter devastation, he was placing his heart in Will's hands. Will was his true love, and it was up to him to take that leap, to accept Grell's heart… or reject it. Time froze as Grell waited for Will to close the gap and kiss him for the first time. _Please please… please_…

William shuddered with pleasure as he felt Grell's warm body press against his, fingers threading through his hair and breath teasing at his lips. Overcome with sensation, William's eyes fluttered closed. It was New Year's, Grell was going to kiss him and, for the first time, William didn't plan on pushing him away… when suddenly, after a few agonizingly tense seconds… Grell pulled back.

Nearly overbalancing as the redhead backed up a step, William quickly righted himself, blushing furiously. He didn't know what had just happened. Wasn't it tradition to kiss at New Year's? Had he done something wrong? Was Grell just playing some cruel joke on him? As he looked down at Grell, he knew it wasn't the last option, as the redhead was still holding his hand, looking away almost… disappointed? Knowing he was not terribly talented when it came to dealing with people, William speculated he had been the one at fault. Determined to fix it, but not quite sure how, he simply stared at Grell, hoping for some insight as to what to do. The redhead's eyes refused to meet his, offering no assistance.

William had no choice but to ask. Clearing his throat after a brief awkward silence, William straightened his glasses, more out of nervous habit than necessity, and spoke in a way he hoped sounded nonchalant, his voice quaking only slightly, "I-I must say, I'm rather surprised you didn't observe that silly tradition."

"I can't." was Grell's enigmatic reply as he smiled sadly up at Will.

"I don't seem to remember you having any qualms about it earlier toda… I mean… that is to say…" William sputtered awkwardly, hoping to make it sound like he _hadn't_ just been making an argument for Grell to kiss him.

"I _want_ to Will, more than anything, but the New Year just started, and I can't go breaking my resolution _that _quickly now can I?" Grell said as he gently cupped Will's face, his rarely unguarded eyes looking deep into Will's soul, silently begging him to understand his meaning.

"You're resolution? You mean, to be… kissed… by…" William gulped, realization beginning to dawn on him.

"It really _does_ make all the difference Will." Grell murmured back, his eyes shining with a vulnerability William had never seen in him before.

Searching those emerald pools, seeing Grell's insecurities and fear of rejection rippling across their surface, William finally understood what Grell had meant. It was one thing for Grell to kiss him, the redhead was a notorious flirt, everyone knew that, so it meant next to nothing. This time however, Grell wasn't trying to _take_ a kiss, he was asking to be _given_ one. He was asking for William to accept his feelings, and to return them. If William kissed Grell, it _would_ make all the difference. It would break down all the walls and re-write all the rules between them. It would change everything. _Am I ready for that?_

Looking down at the beautiful redhead, seeing a tiny flicker of hope in his eyes amidst the fear and anxiety, William knew his answer. Letting go of Grell's hand to softly caress his cheek, while using the other to grasp the redhead's waist, William closed the distance between them, gently pressing his lips to Grell's in a heartbreakingly tender kiss.

As he pulled away and looked down to see Grell's prettily blushing cheeks, the redhead's eyes alight with surprise and joy and passion and perhaps a hint of something more, William smiled gently and whispered against the redhead's lips, "Happy New Year Grell."

While William had expected a New Year's greeting in return, he most definitely was not disappointed with the armful of redhead he got instead. Grell pressed his lips against Will's in a passionate embrace, wrapping his arms around him. William was only too happy to respond in kind. Grell moaned as Will pulled him tight against him, his warmth radiating into his very core. William relished the silky softness of Grell's hair, combing through it gently.

William gasped a little as Grell swept his tongue along his bottom lip, but gladly allowed him in, deepening the kiss. He was pleasantly surprised that Grell's teeth were not as razor sharp as they appeared, smoothed just enough to provide a unique sensual experience as he ran his tongue across them. The redhead moaned at the back of his throat as Will's tongue flirted with his.

After what felt like an eternity, but not nearly long enough, William was forced to come up for air. As he panted heavily, blood coursing through his veins, Grell began attacking his face, his jaw, his neck, everywhere he could reach, with feathery kisses. Letting a small moan escape his lips, William pulled Grell back in for a passionate kiss.

Grell couldn't believe this was actually happening. For so long he had fantasized about the day Will would kiss him, and he didn't disappoint! The dark haired man was clearly not as experienced as the redhead, but what he lacked in technique, he made up for in effort. Will seemed to approach kissing like he did everything else, focusing on the task with his whole being, intent on perfection, and determinedly working until he achieved it. It was perfection to Grell, who couldn't think of a time when he had been happier, as he stood wrapped in the other man's embrace.

William had been so enraptured with the feeling of Grell's tongue ravaging his mouth that he was surprised when he backed into something hard. Opening an eye to gauge his position in the room, he determined that Grell had backed him into the desk. Suddenly the redhead was fumbling with William's tie, removing it entirely and unbuttoning the top buttons of his shirt. As much as William was enjoying himself, and most definitely wanted to continue, he was still William T. Spears, and he would be damned if they ruined all that hard work by scattering all those stacks of neatly filed paperwork about in their passion.

Wedging a hand between them and pushing gently at Grell's chest, William pulled away from the redhead. Still panting, William shook his head disapprovingly as he breathed, "Not here."

"Wha… but Wi~ll…" Grell panted in confusion and a hint of frustration.

"There's no way I'm…" pant, "…letting you ruin all this paperwork…" pant, "…honestly…" William slipped out from between the desk and the excited redhead and went about straightening his clothing and buttoning his shirt.

_But… it can't be o~ver yet… we were just starting! _ Grell thought, his distress increasing as he watched Will putting on his coat without sparing him a glance. Grell gasped in indignation, "And just where are you going?"

William could see Grell's panic level rising as he pointedly went about his business. The redhead had spent years, _decades_ even, teasing him. _Turn about is fair play, or so the saying goes._ "Home of course. I think I've been here long enough for one day." William managed to say in his usual composed tone. He then straightened his glasses and headed for the door, a small smile hidden from Grell with his back turned.

Grell was nearly hysterical at this point! "Home… but… Wi~ll!" the redhead moaned, a whole cornucopia of emotions ranging from lust to confusion to disappointment to frustration all battling to be expressed in Grell's almost sentence.

Deciding to put him out of his misery, William opened the door and looked over his shoulder, raising an eyebrow at the distraught redhead. "Well, are you coming or aren't you?"

Grell's eye's lit up, and William couldn't help but smile. Squealing with excitement, Grell grabbed his coat and flew to Will's side, clutching his arm and looking up at him, praying that he hadn't misunderstood. "Coming? You mean home? To… _your_ home?"

Feeling bold, William leaned down and placed a soft kiss on Grell's lips. "If you'd like."

"Oh Will~!" and just like that William's lips were thoroughly claimed by the joyously smiling redhead once more. It seemed it would take a while to not automatically tense up when Grell threw himself at him, as William had spent years conditioning the response. Though as he melted into the embrace and deepened the kiss, William was confident he would somehow manage.

After breaking away for air, William realized his house keys were still in his top drawer. "Wait here." he murmured, slipping back inside.

Upon opening the drawer and grabbing his keys, William's fingers brushed against the post-it note Grell had made. "W+G". Smiling fondly, William took out the note and stuck it atop the pile of paperwork that Grell had helped him complete before rejoining the redhead and closing his office door.

As they left the Dispatch office, Grell clutching tightly to his arm and happily nuzzling him, William mused on the year ahead. He _did_ hope to improve the division's productivity by _at least_ 7.4 percent, and indeed planned to crack down on any slackers, Grell Sutcliff included. Other than that, the coming year would no doubt be much the same as the previous one. William being under-appreciated and overworked, his time dominated by paperwork and overtime. As foreboding as his prediction seemed, William found a content smile settle on his features. This year, no matter how stressful or monotonous his life turned out to be, _this_ year William would have someone to share it with, and that really did make all the difference.

* * *

_I hope my first fic for my OTP lived up to expectations! Please review, and tell me if you would be interested in a drabble series about Will and Grell's trials and tribulations as a couple…_


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